“Hey Cora,” he said, leaning over to give her a quick one-armed hug as he tended to the steaks. “Good to see you! How’s it goin’?”
“Not too shabby,” she said. “My dad sends his best. He got stuck going to some mandatory work retreat this weekend. He wanted to be here. He sent a gift along though.”
“Sophie will be thrilled.” After a short pause, he asked, “How’s he doing?”
Her adopted mother had passed away last year. It still stung to think of her. She read the unasked question on his face as well so she answered in kind for both of them. “There are good days and bad days. We just move forward, ya know?”
“I guess that’s the only thing you can do,” he murmured, giving her arm a squeeze.
“I hear you’re looking to open another location,” she said, remembering that Taryn had mentioned that the last time they’d gotten lunch.
She couldn’t help but have a soft spot for Evan. He was a good guy. Anyone that was able to make her sister that wildly happy was clearly a keeper.
A grin spread across his face and he said, “Yeah. I think after the baby is born, I’m going to open up a shop in Burbank. We’re looking at space.”
“That’s awesome. You’re going to have to hire on more staff, right?”
He considered for a minute and said, “Yeah. Probably. Kate, my part-timer is looking for more hours, but I’d need a full-timer, too.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a lot to consider,” Cora said.
“Yeah. That’s why I want to hold off until the baby is born. Taryn’s morning sickness has been hitting at really random times. We were up all night last night. I don’t want her to be any more stressed.”
“She mentioned. You were up too?”
Evan snorted and then asked, “Can you imagine how much trouble I’d be in if she was throwing up all night and I was snoring away in bed?”
“Smart man,” Cora said. “Is this ready enough to start bringing up the side dishes, do you think?”
Evan poked at one of the steaks with his finger and said, “Yeah. Just about. Can you try and make her sit down? She’s been running around all day.”
“I can try,” Cora said. “You, of all people, know how stubborn she is.”
“True story,” he said as he tipped his bottle of beer at her in salute.
Cora moved toward the door that led downstairs into the apartment. She grabbed Jane, Maureen, Christine, and Patty along the way. Between them, they managed to get the side dishes together and mostly upstairs before Taryn wandered into the kitchen.
“Hey. What the hell, guys? Why didn’t you come get me?”
“Because you’ve been running around since I got here, and probably before,” Cora said.
Christine piped in, “Have a seat, honey. We can handle getting everything up there. You must be exhausted.”
“Oh Jesus,” Taryn said, a startled expression on her face. “Do I look exhausted?”
“Oh shut up. You look all glowy and radiant. Even on three hours’ sleep. Just let us take the damn food upstairs, Taryn,” Cora said.
Cora watched as her sister let out a watery sigh and said, “Okay. You win. But only because you said I’m radiant and glowy.”
Thirty minutes later, people were settled in for dinner. She was seated near the end of the table, next to Taryn and Evan who were helping Sophie feed herself bits of hot dog and carrot. Cora was eating and taking pictures of Sophie with her cell phone. She was so adorable in her sunny yellow dress, her face smeared with carrot.
As the evening wore on, Sophie opened her presents and had the customary piece of cake. She ended up wearing most of it on her face and so Cora took several pictures of that, too. She couldn’t wait to go through them all with Taryn.
Later, when people had already started to make their way home, Cora and Taryn sat in front of the small fire pit. Sophie lay sleeping in her lap. She had been so excited that apparently she’d skipped her afternoon nap. It was barely dark outside, and already she was passed out.
Taryn hauled herself up, then scooped the sleeping girl off Cora’s lap and said, “Be back in a few. Gotta put my girl to bed.”
Cora grinned and said, “Take your time.”
Snuggling back into the seat, Cora slid down another comfortable inch and then took a sip of her coffee.
As she set her cup down, Jamie walked up. “Hey, Cora. Is it okay if I sit?” he asked hesitantly.
“Sure, sure. Have a seat.”
“You’re sure? I just have this feeling that you’re going to get up and wander away,” he said, a teasing grin on his face.
She winced and said, “Yeah. Sorry about that. After the last time, I realized you probably thought I was avoiding you. I’m not really. I just wasn’t really enjoying the fact that your family stopped talking and stared at us every time we were within ten feet of each other. I wonder what they were waiting for.”
“No clue. But, yeah. Sorry. They’re nosy,” he admitted.
“Not your fault. They mean well, I think.”
“Mostly. My mother is a little cagey,” Jamie said, a smirk on his face.
“She’s wily, that one is,” Cora agreed. “She sent me four separate emails to remind me you were moving back.”
He snorted and said, “Subtle.”
“So, uh…welcome back, I guess.”
He gave another laugh as he settled onto the cushion next to hers, and then said, “Thanks. So, catch me up on the last six years.”
“Hmm. Well. I got my doctorate in child and adolescent psychology. I opened my own practice a little bit earlier this year. It’s doing pretty well so far,” she said. “What about you?”
“I spent the last six years buried at work until I realized that I was miserable. Then I decided it was time to come back home. I missed my family. I missed everything about this place. New York has a completely different vibe to it,” he said, frowning.
“Every so often I think about going somewhere else, but I really don’t think I could leave Taryn. Or my dad. Especially not now.”
“Yeah. I was really sorry to hear about your mom, Cora. She was a great lady. I thought about sending a card or something, but wasn’t sure whether it would be appropriate under the circumstances.”
“I didn’t open them,” she confessed. “I couldn’t. It felt rude to throw them away so I didn’t but…” Cora had no idea why she had told him that. She hadn’t told anyone that.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’d love to tell you that it gets easier to deal with, but it doesn’t. Maybe it just gets easier to put it away.”
“I hope,” Cora said. “What are your plans now? Are you going to open up your own agency?”
She watched as a huge grin spread across his face. With a nod he said, “Yep. I’m going around to look at some space with Patty this week. I’m really hoping to find a good rental. I may eventually buy something but I think a small space would be good for now.”
“She found me a great spot in a little business complex,” Cora said. “All I needed was a couple of rooms and a small kitchenette area.”
“Yeah. Something like that,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be huge. It’ll be just me for a little while anyway.”
“The decorating was the best part for me. My old office with the state was…uh…bland,” Cora said. “The walls were dirty beige. It was depressing. Then again, that job was utterly depressing too.”
When he cocked an eyebrow in question and she added, “While I was getting my doctorate, I was doing social work for the state. It was a rough couple of years, but worth it in the end. Some days it felt like I was making a difference, ya know?”
“Not really. I make things look pretty so they sell,” he said. “I think I get what you mean though.”
“You help people sell products and provide services. You’re helping them fulfill their dreams. Don’t sell yourself short there,” Cora said.
“It’s sweet of you to say that, but it’s really not that noble
. Trust me.”
She shook her head and turned to face him. She saw that he studied her intently and finally asked, “What?”
“Trying to figure out how you’re not married with 2.5 kids. I saw the way you were with Sophie and CJ earlier tonight,” he said.
“Well, we’ll just ignore the part where you admitted you’ve been watching me all evening and address the question at hand, then?”
He gave her a dismissive shrug and said, “I’ve never been able to lie to you. No reason to start now.”
She considered for a minute and then smirked, “Yeah. You were pretty freaking terrible at it. So terrible, in fact, that you made me stop guessing about what presents you got me.”
A smile spread slowly across his face with the memory and he said, “You were way too good at that. It was so frustrating.”
“It’s like a superpower. Sorry.”
“Stop dodging my question, Cora,” he said, grinning.
“Haven’t found the right one, yet. Had a near miss in the marriage department. What about you?”
“I dated a little bit, but mostly focused on work. No misses for me, near or otherwise,” he responded.
It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it that had her taking pause. She could feel the unbearable weight of a million questions she wanted to ask. None of them were appropriate or even useful.
Unsure how to proceed, she watched the firelight dance across his tanned skin as she debated what she would say next.
He looked over at her, saw her considering him and asked, “What?” in the same tone she had used before.
She opted for honesty and said, “It just sounds…kind of lonely.”
“It was,” he agreed.
She felt a sharp pang in her chest at the thought. Cora decided that she needed to lighten the mood so, lips twitching, she asked, “And how does that make you feel?”
Jamie laughed as he held up a hand and said, “Oh, no no no. No psych majoring me.”
Cora warned, “That’s not psych majoring anymore. Full-fledged psychology now. Be lucky I don’t make you call me Dr. Blanchard,” she said with a smirk on her face.
Jamie’s eyes sparkled mischievously as he murmured, “I dunno, Cora. That could be kind of hot.”
A laugh escaped before she could stop it. Still, she shook her head and said, “Some things never change.”
His expression softened as his gaze met and then held hers. He said, “No. I guess some things never do.”
She felt a warmth in her cheeks that had nothing at all to do with the fire. As she opened her mouth to speak, Taryn popped her head out of the door and called out, “Cora? Are you—Oh. I didn’t realize you were busy.”
Cora said, “Just talking. But come here! I want to show you these pictures. They’re freaking adorable!”
Jamie looked at her questioningly and so she said, “I got a bunch of pictures of Sophie. Some of these are great.”
The three of them moved together to look at the small screen on her phone as she flipped through the pictures. Every so often Taryn would say, “She’s getting so big.” or “Oh! Send me that one!”
The whole time they looked through the photos, she could feel Jamie’s arm brushing against hers as he leaned in. She tried to ignore the heat of his body against her and the scent of his cologne but failed miserably. A small part of her just wanted to curl up against him, hold on, and never let go.
At one point he said, “Can you send me that one? I’m going to add it to the wall.”
It was a particularly nice action shot of Taryn feeding Sophie cake as she sat in Evan’s lap. All three of them were so happy.
Cora nodded and said, “Sure. Email or text?”
“Just text it, please,” he said, as he rattled off his number.
“Sent,” Cora said.
“Oh jeez,” Jamie murmured looking past her to Taryn, who now peacefully slumped in the chair, asleep.
Grinning, Cora said, “I guess that’s our cue to leave, huh?”
“Looks like it.”
Together, they walked downstairs to the main living room to see Evan bidding good-bye to Christine, Bruce, and their children.
When he spotted them together he asked, “Hey. Where’s Taryn? Wasn’t she up there with you?”
“Fell asleep,” Cora said. “She’s currently resting peacefully against a pile of cushions by the fire. So I figured that was my cue to leave. Besides, I’ve got an early patient tomorrow.”
“I’m gonna head out, too, Ev. Thanks for the great meal. It’s great to be home.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll walk you down,” Evan said, holding up a hand.
“Go retrieve your wife, Evan,” Cora said. “I can make it to my car just fine.”
“I’ll walk her to her car, Ev. Go get Taryn,” Jamie said.
Cora rolled her eyes and said, “I can get to my car on my own guys.”
Both men gave her that same, annoyingly patient look as if to say, “Humor me.”
“Whatever,” Cora said, giving in. “I’m just saying this isn’t exactly a rough neighborhood.”
After Evan had hugged them both, they stepped out on to the main landing and started down the stairs. They were both silent as they descended the stairs and made their way onto the street. Maybe he was remembering the first time they had done this. She couldn’t be near him and not remember.
The attraction between them had been instant. She couldn’t help but smile as she remembered the walk to her car. He’d taken her hand in his as they rounded the corner. He’d given her a light kiss on the cheek after they had reached her car. When he’d backed away, she had reached out to tug him back against her. God. His mouth.
When they exited the building, he said, “Getting a huge sense of deja vu here.”
“Me, too,” she agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “By the way, this is me.”
She gestured to her car, then added, “That’s why I said I could make it by myself.”
“Point taken,” he said, grinning.
She dug her keys out of her bag and unlocked the doors with the clicker. After she had shifted the bag, she said, “It was nice seeing you again.”
“It really was,” he said. “I was worried it would be awkward.”
“Well, aside from your entire family staring at us any time we got near each other...” Cora said with a smirk. “Totally fine.”
He studied her for a moment and then asked, “Could I have a hug?”
She nodded slowly, then set her bag down on the car and closed the distance between them.
He reached out and took her into his arms. Seconds later, her cheek was pressed against his chest and his chin rested gently on the top of her head. For long minutes, neither of them spoke as they held each other much more tightly than was required.
She felt his chin lift, and then the unmistakable brush of his lips across the crown of her head. Then he whispered, “I’ve really missed you, Cora. I don’t think I realized how much until right now.”
“I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed this,” she murmured, immediately regretting the words.
Her eyes fluttered closed as he continued to hold her. As his hand stroked over her hair, then tangled in her blonde waves, she felt a wave of desire rush through her. She felt his lips brush against the top of her head again, and this time it set off a wave of alarm bells in her brain.
She needed to put some space between them. Fast. There was no way that she was equipped to go down this path. Not again. Not now. And in this moment, with every fiber of her being, she really wanted to.
She cleared her throat and then pulled away. She said, “I need to get going. I’ve got a patient tomorrow, early.”
Jamie must have seen the shift in mood because he just nodded and said, “I’m still unpacking. There were vague plans to finish that since Evan, Donnie, Mike, and Bruce are coming over for poker.”
“Yeah,” she said. “You should probably do that.”
“See ya,” she said as she scooped her purse off the hood.
He stood at the curb and watched her as she got into her car. She gave him a wave as she started her car and drove away.
It had been a little cowardly to just run, but she would have done something stupid, had she stayed any longer. From the moment she’d laid eyes on him seven years ago, she’d known he was going to be something special.
Right now, she didn’t want special. She didn’t want anything at all, and Jamie had always had a way of making her want entirely too much.
Chapter Two
Jamie ran a hand through his hair as he watched her taillights round the corner. That hadn’t been at all what he expected. The evening had gone both better and worse than he had hoped. He had been expecting maybe a few minutes of awkward conversation at the most. The feeling of her wrapped in his arms again had been incredible. Seven years passed, and nothing had changed for him. Not a goddamned thing.
He’d had a sense of complete peace that he hadn’t felt since they’d been together all those years ago. Seeing the fear in her eyes after they separated had been like a knife to the chest, though. He knew that he was the source of at least some of it and that left a giant pit in his stomach.
As he walked over to his car, he let his mind drift to the past. Before he’d left, things between them were pretty hot and heavy. He’d been hopelessly and ridiculously in love with her. When his company had transferred him to New York, he was incredibly torn about taking the job. It had been the opportunity for advancement that he was looking for, but it had meant leaving her behind.
By that point, she’d been getting ready for grad school. She’d been tied to her schooling but urged him to go. She wanted for him to have the job that he deserved. He’d been making little money as a junior executive at the ad agency that he worked for. The new account executive role boasted a much higher salary and more opportunity for advancement.
When You Were Mine [Second Chances 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 2
